Ngā Puka

Te Mana Ākonga (TMĀ), the National Māori Tertiary Students' Association in collaboration with the Ministry of Education have released a series of reports detailing the educational and wellbeing impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown on Māori students in three sub-sectors of the tertiary system - Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (now the subsidiaries of Te Pūkenga), Industry Training Organisations, and Private Training Establishments.  A survey was rolled out nationally to Māori students in each of the sub-sectors, a first for Te Mana Ākonga. These new reports join a previous report released in June 2020 by TMĀ on the Impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown on Māori university learners. 

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Te Mana Ākonga hopes that collectively these reports will paint a full picture of the challenges and opportunities Māori face post-COVID, strengthening their capacity and capability to advocate for Māori in tertiary education.

 

"This is just the beginning of Te Mana Ākonga’s ongoing work to further support Māori learner success in tertiary education, especially in sectors of education where we are still navigating how best to support tauira Māori in their studies and future endeavours. These reports have given a clear insight into the diverse challenges our tauira face and we hope this supports a culture shift towards a student-informed and centred education sector,” expresses Tumuaki Takirua, Nohorua Parata (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata).

 

“We’re grateful for the honest kōrero that our tauira shared with us, these reports voice the experiences and concerns of māori learners throughout the tertiary sector, far too often we’re ignored or excluded… The next steps for TMĀ will be ensuring Government and tertiary organisations listen and learn from our tauira, allowing us to be apart of the solutions moving forward” says Tumuaki Takirua, Mamaeroa Merito (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Awa).

 

The reports identified a number of impacts that the lockdown had on Māori students. TMĀ encourages tertiary providers and wider government to engage with these reports and use the insights to inform their ongoing work and responsibilities to Māori learners.

 

"This was an exciting opportunity to build on what was heard through the university report, and to promote and empower the wider Māori student voice across the tertiary sector. It is transformational working with tauira Māori from so many diverse journeys in tertiary education, so we are very humbled by this experience, and likewise very grateful the Ministry sees the value in our collective action,” says TMĀ Pou Hauora and project lead, Zaine Akuhata-Huntington (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Tūhoe, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa).

 

Andy Jackson, Deputy Secretary of Te Ara Kaimanawa (Graduate Achievement, Vocations and Careers) said that, “Collaborating with TMĀ has been an invaluable experience for the Ministry of Education. It is important that the Ministry keeps working closely with TMĀ to help them continue to amplify and support the voices of tauira Māori across the tertiary education system. More broadly, the Ministry is working towards a cultural shift in the way we do things – where education policy is better informed by learners’ voices and further enhances the wellbeing and success of Māori across the tertiary system”

 

Te Mana Ākonga will continue to advocate for tauira Māori in tertiary education with the support of the Ministry of Education and looks forward to future projects and collaborative action. Te Mana Ākonga would also like to pay special mention to Lauren Bell and Aisha Hancox from the Ministry of Education whom without, this mahi would not have been possible.

 

ENDS

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Further enquiries to Te Mana Ākonga: kaihapai@temanaakonga.org.nz

& zaine.akuhata-huntington@otago.ac.nz